Capt. Ben Otero gives address during graduation ceremony

SANTA FE — The life of a conservation officer for the New Mexico Department of Wildlife isn't just about writing tickets for fishing or hunting without a license — in fact, there are many other challenges they face, both on- and off-duty.

Capt. Jeremy Smith and Capt. Ben Otero took part in the two-week National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Leadership Chiefs (NACLEC) Leadership Academy in early March in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, gathering with other top-level wildlife officers from across the country to discuss strategies and gain valuable knowledge.

Both Smith and Otero successfully completed the academy, with Otero giving a speech during the graduation ceremony.

"It is excellent to see these two captains graduate from this leadership academy," Col. Tim Cimbal said. "Being on the NACLEC Academy Board and a graduate from 2019, I truly see this program as one of theleading wildlife law enforcement trainings available and am excited to see what these two captains take back home from it."

Smith embraced the opportunity to talk to leaders from other states about some of the common challenges faced by wildlife law enforcement officers.

"Most of the people there were at the captain level or higher, so they're overseeing divisions or supervising officers and lieutenants," Smith said. "That led to a lot of meaningful discussions about leadership and organizational challenges.

"Overall, it was a great experience," he added. "Building those connections is huge. Now I've got a network of people across the country facing the same challenges, and we can share ideas and solutions."

Otero was surprised to be chosen as this year's graduation speaker.

"My speech focused on taking the tools we learned and carrying them forward — continuing to adapt, grow and lead within our agencies," Otero said. "I emphasized not letting it stop just because we left (the academy). Keep networking, keep improving and keep pushing our agencies forward."

Otero also said he enjoyed the broad spectrum of topics covered during the academy.

"It focuses on new leadership ideas — how to become more positive, how to stay relevant, recruiting and things like that," he said. "It also covers what we should be working on as leaders to adapt to changing times and figure out new ways to reach new constituents.

"Overall, it was just an honor to be there — surrounded by strong leaders from across the country," he added. "Now, it's about building on it and creating systems and growth that can continue even after I retire."